MaRathON Da Y WaS WaRM. White tends to
overheat, so he drank a cup of performance
drink and a cup of water at each aid station.
He finished strong, just 33 seconds off his
18-year-old PR of 3:17: 12. Public transit was
backed up, so it took two hours for his wife
to reach their meeting point. “During that
time, I was feeling dehydrated,” he says. “I

VICTIM PROFILE

Jeff White, 57,
Lewis
Center, Ohio

Years running: 27

Ruined race:
San Diego Rock
‘n’ Roll Marathon

probably drank three liters of water and a liter of Cytomax
[performance drink].” At the hotel, he downed a quart of Gatorade. Soon he was nauseous and vomited repeatedly. They
rushed to the hospital. “The doctor said my blood sodium was
122 [normal is 135 to 145], dangerously below normal,” says
White. “I had hyponatremia and had to stay overnight.”

WHAT WENT WRONGAND HOW TO PREVENT IT> Hydrate safely with simple strategies

While rare, hyponatremia—a
condition characterized by
abnormally low blood-sodium
levels caused by drinking too
much water—can be life
threatening because it can
cause brain swelling. Here’s
how to safely quench your
thirst during and after a race.

For more race-day disasters, go to runnersworld.com/
disasters. To avoid your own racing mishaps, check out our
foolproof training plans at runnersworld.com/trainwithus.

D’OH! QUICK FIXES FOR CLASSIC RACING DISASTERS

LATE FORTHE START!Prevent itPlan for extra trafficand leave extra early.Deal with itRun to the startingline and keep movingon the line byjumping, stretching,and jogging in place.Start out slower, and,if possible, use thefirst mile to warm up.

SHOE CAME OFF!Prevent itDouble-knot and tuckshoelaces under thetongue laces.Deal with itIf your shoe comesuntied, stop, get outof traffic, and fix it.The time you lose willbe made up by beingable to run correctly(without risking aface-plant).

CRASH AND FALL!Prevent itRun a straight, clearpath off to the side toavoid the crowd. Onsteep downhills,shorten your strideand focus on takingquick, light steps.Deal with itTry to land on yourside and get up as fastas possible to avoidgetting stepped on.

WARDROBEMALFUNCTION!Prevent itTest duds on trainingruns. Apply Vaselineor lube to areas whereseams lie.Deal with itSweat residue causesfriction, so rinse thearea with water orsaliva. If a seam rips,mend it with a safetypin from your bib.

Oops!

“at MiLE t WO Of MY fiRSt MaRathON, i fELt a StiNg ON MY LEft thigh. THE SEAM ON MY COMPRESSION
SHORTS HAD RIPPED. i tOUghED it OUt aND fiNiShED With a haMbURgER thigh.” —Kate Gartner, 37, Bismarck, N.D.